The West Sycamore extension of Mission Trails Regional Park was formally opened to the public in December of 2014. The park is immediately adjacent to the Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve and the two are interconnected by several trails. While the West Sycamore extension is not currently connected to the main Mission Trails Park, there are long term plans to procure land that will link the two. Continue reading West Sycamore (Mission Trails Regional Park)
Los Jilgueros is a small, yet very scenic Preserve located on the south side of Fallbrook. Nestled in between a busy road and residential developments lies a small network of trails which will take you by ponds, freshwater marshland, and grassy fields. The Preserve is owned and maintained by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy who has done an amazing job preserving and protecting native habitat in North County. Continue reading Los Jilgueros Preserve
The Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve, managed jointly by the County of San Diego and cities of Poway and Santee, lies just west of Highway 67. The Preserve contains a wide variety of scenery and habitat, including mixed sage scrub and chaparral covered hills, open grasslands, and riparian creekside. It has an extensive history as well, it has been home to the Kumeyaay Indians and was a working ranch for many years. Nowadays, the Preserve is a popular hiking and mountain biking destination. Continue reading Goodan Ranch Sycamore Canyon Preserve
Black Mountain is a relatively small yet scenic peak in the Rancho Penasquitos area. It’s antenna clad crest stands out prominently amid its lower lying surroundings, and can be easily seen and identified from other nearby San Diego peaks like Mt. Woodson and Iron Mountain. Continue reading Black Mountain via The Nighthawk Trail
McGinty Mountain is considerably less popular than some of the county’s more well-known peaks, like Cowles Mountain, Iron Mountain, and Mount Woodson. This can only be due to its comparatively remote location, because it is a beautiful and challenging hike with some amazing views. Continue reading McGinty Mountain
Anza-Borrego contains a plethora of fascinating archaeological sites. Over 50 Native American rock art sites have been discovered in the park, many of which are relatively easily accessible to the public. While many parks have had to close off or not publicly disclose the location of pictographs like these for fear of vandals defacing the historical sites, this trail leads you right up to the fragile artwork. And if the unique privilege of seeing such a rare artifact doesn’t sell you on this hike, then perhaps the beautiful views from the dry fall at the end of Smuggler Canyon will convince you! Continue reading Pictograph Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Rancho Mission Canyon is one of San Diego’s many little neighborhood open space canyons that provides a small swath of natural space within our urban landscape. The nearby Mission Trails Regional Park draws most of the crowds, so you’ll likely have some quiet solitude in which to enjoy the chaparral covered hillsides and chirping birds. Continue reading Rancho Mission Canyon
The ‘Ehmuu-Morteros trail is a short but fascinating path through the site of a former Kumeyaay Native American seasonal village. The nomadic Kumeyaay would spend winters in the Anza-Borrego region, and from this location they would collect and process pinyon nuts, mesquite beans, and desert agave.
This is one of three short, easy trails along the southern portion of Blair Valley. To make the most of your trip to this area, I highly recommend hitting the Ghost Mountain and Pictograph trails while you’re out here. While the road that winds through this part of the park is unpaved, narrow, and sandy, it was overall in decent condition and we didn’t run into any problems with our small passenger car. Continue reading ‘Ehmuu-Morteros Trail (Anza Borrego Desert State Park)
The highly popular Mount Woodson trail is a favorite destination for many San Diego hikers. Mount Woodson is home to the famous Potato Chip Rock, a large granite boulder that has eroded in such a way as to leave a large, fragile-looking flake of rock that, from the proper angle, appears to be protruding out over the edge of the mountain. So far, the flake has proven quite solid, and it’s actually a pretty safe spot. But dozens of people flock to the site daily to get their picture taken in this seemingly death-defying location.
Even if you’re not in it for the photo op, Mount Woodson is still a worthwhile hike. There are several trails that lead up the mountain, all of which provide a good workout. This post details the western route, which begins at the scenic Lake Poway, continues up a steep fire road amid sage scrub and chaparral, then winds through a maze of giant white boulders to the top of the mountain. Continue reading Mount Woodson (Potato Chip Rock) via Lake Poway
Ghost Mountain is a small and unassuming promontory along the southern edge of Blair Valley. At first glance, the peak doesn’t seem particularly noteworthy, but for 16 years in the 1930’s and 40’s, it was the home of author Marshal South and his family.
During the Great Depression, South and his wife Tanya built their home atop Ghost Mountain. They called their homestead “Yaquitepec,” or “House of the Sun,” and lived there for nearly two decades. They raised three children in their desert sanctuary, making their living by writing articles for Desert Magazine and hauling everything they needed to survive up the nearly 1-mile trail we were about to ascend. Continue reading Ghost Mountain/Marshal South Trail (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
